


A Damn Good View

by queen_scribbles



Series: Straight Up Truth [6]
Category: Star Wars Legends: The Old Republic
Genre: F/M, Fluff, just fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-16
Updated: 2018-09-16
Packaged: 2019-07-13 01:19:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,166
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16007279
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/queen_scribbles/pseuds/queen_scribbles
Summary: Saving the galaxy deserves at least a little break, yes?





	A Damn Good View

 

Theron was not a stupid man. Reckless and impulsive at times, sure. Prone to follow his conscience over official orders, usually. Liable to be sarcastic when he should keep his mouth shut, definitely. But he wasn't stupid. Or blind, or deaf. And he would have to be all three to miss the fact Jaaide needed and wanted a break. The slight slump to her shoulders and barely perceptible shift in her voice when Lana confirmed there would be no time for a vacation told him all he needed to know.

She was burning out. From what little she'd shared of her past with Imperial Intelligence, he'd gotten the sense she'd been under fairly constant physical and mental strain for a few years even before the Revanite mess, and things had been pretty nonstop since Lana and T7 busted her out of carbonite(which didn't really count as a break, far as he was concerned, since she couldn't tell time was passing). There was only so much the body could take--even a cybernetically enhanced one. As Jaaide was so fond of reminding _him_ whenever she found him in some random place, passed out from exhaustion after attempting his third straight all-nighter, surrounded by datapads and empty caf cups. Half smiling at the most recent of those memories, Theron made a brief stop by the cantina before heading straight to Jaaide's quarters.  
  
********  
  
He didn't even knock, just punched a few keys on the entry pad so the door slid open and walked in.  
  
Jaaide looked up from the datapad she was reading and gave him a wan smile. "You know you're the only one who can get away with that, right?"  
  
"I had a feeling," Theron grinned as the door closed behind him. "It's my charm, isn't it?"  
  
"Absolutely," she deadpanned, setting down the datapad and stretching. "That and the rugged good looks. Nothing serious like knowing I can trust you or anything. And not that I'm unhappy to see you, but what're you doing?"  
  
"Returning a favor," he said, setting down the bottle and glasses he carried with a soft clink. "I think you need a break."  
  
Jaaide rubbed her eyes, laughing softly at the irony. "Theron..."  
  
"I know there's a lot of work to be done, believe me, but the galaxy is not going to spin out of control if you take twenty minutes to have a drink with your boyfriend."  
  
"While Lana might argue the point, I certainly won't." She gave another tired smile. "I've been on the other side of this scenario too many times."  
  
"Exactly my point," Theron said dryly. "I owe you. And just to make sure we don't get interrupted..." He paused by her computer and slid a dataspike in one of the ports. "Comms blackout," he explained before she could even ask. "My implants, your implants, room comms, all of it. Might as well be turned off."  
  
"Won't they get nervous if they try to contact me and get static?" Jaaide queried. "Lana especially."  
  
Theron shook his head. "They won't get static. I programmed it to... well, it's basically an electronic 'do not disturb' sign. So it'll broadcast a thing tellin' them to try again later. More or less."  
  
She was smiling--a _real_ smile--as she stood to cross the room and hug him, tightly. "Are gadgets like that one of the perks to falling in love with a slicer?"  
  
"Yep."  
  
"Much as I appreciate the gesture...." Jaaide sighed and rested her forehead against his chest. "What if... what if we lose track of time, or forget to undo _that_ when we're done and it keeps spouting its smoke screen? People _would_ get nervous then, and I wouldn't blame them."  
  
"Way ahead of you," Theron promised, rubbing her back. He frowned briefly; fairly certain he hadn't been able to feel her spine the last time he hugged her. _Is she eating enough?_ "The spike'll burn out in an hour. Just in case."  
  
"That's an awfully big safety net for a twenty minute drink," she hinted. "You always give yourself that much leeway?"  
  
"Nah, you're a special case." He chuckled when she swatted his arm. "C'mon, we're wasting time. And I only have one rule about this drink: not one word about anything relating to Arcann, SCORPIO, the Eternal Throne, any of it. Deal?"  
  
"Deal," Jaaide agreed happily, snagging the bottle and heading for the window seat that overlooked Odessen's forests. "Have you seen the view from here before?"  
  
"Can't really say I've ever cared to _look_ before," Theron teased, following with the glasses in hand. "Always been a bit distracted. Plus I usually don't make it far enough in to actually _see_ anything out the window."  
  
Jaaide was too good at what she did to really _blush_ , but she did shoot him a mischievous smirk. "Fair point. Here's your chance, then.  After you tell me what's in the bottle."  
  
"Cassandran brandy. It's apparently nothing special according to the bartender, but I was honestly just looking for something that tastes good.  Didn't need it to be _special_ , just good." He sat next to her on the cushioned, curving benchseat that allowed a view out he window, almost automatically raising his arm so she could snuggle in against his chest. "That is a nice view..."  
  
"Isn't it?" she said softly, staring off at the endless canopy of trees that stretched toward the horizon. "You ever wonder about the future? What we'll do after... after everything is taken care of?"  
  
"Sometimes. I'm sorta waiting to see what state the galaxy's in before I make long term plans," Theron pointed out, one hand rubbing her shoulder as the other wriggled the stopper out of the bottle.  
  
"Good plan." Jaaide was silent for a long moment, like she was working up the courage to admit something. "I want to vanish. After we've set things as right as we can, I want us to find a semi--but not too densely--populated world and just... retire. I don't want to be the one in charge, the one everyone looks to for answers and salvation. I want it to be just me and you, and the freedom to do whatever we want."  
  
"That does sound nice." He left unsaid how long it would likely take to accomplish. "So, I'm in your vision of the future, huh?"  
  
She gave a soft chuckle and squeezed his hand in gratitude for the sort-of redirect. "I've yet to plan one that excludes you. You're stuck with me, I'm afraid."  
  
"Worse things have happened," Theron commented glibly. "I think I could live with that."  
  
"I'm flattered," Jaaide deadpanned, shifting slightly to a more comfortable position.  
  
"You should be; I wouldn't settle down for just anyone," he deadpanned right back, pouring them each a drink. He handed one to her, raised his in a half-joking toast. "Here's to vacations."  
  
"May I actually get to have one before I die," she replied glibly, clinking her glass against his.  
  
In the moment of silence that followed as they both drank, Theron silently promised himself that even if it earned him Lana's wrath, he was _going_ to make sure Jaaide got a decent break at some point. "So, whaddya think?"  
  
"About the brandy?" Jaaide swirled what was left in her glass. "It's rather good. I like it."  
  
"But?" he prompted, hearing what she was leaving unsaid.  
  
"I'm always going to prefer cometdusters over everything else." She sounded almost apologetic as she leaned her head back against his shoulder. "But really, Theron, this is quite good."  
  
"S'alright, everyone has their favorites," Theron shrugged. "Just out of curiosity, why cometdusters?"   
  
Jaaide shifted enough to let him see the mischievous look that went with her chuckle. "A combination of fond memories and liking the tingly sensation."  
  
"You like tingly, huh?" He didn't even _try_ to hide the insinuation behind the question as he kissed the top of her head.  
  
This time she did blush. "No comment."  
  
Theron laughed. "I'll have to remember that little tidbit. Might come in handy in the future."  
  
Jaaide lazily swatted him with her free hand. " _Theron_."  
  
"Yes?" he said innocently, causing her to sigh in exasperation. It turned into a yawn maybe halfway through. "Tired?"  
  
"Stars, yes," she admitted. "But I'll be alright."  
  
"I know." He nudged her glass. "Drink up, before we run out of time."  
  
"You weren't planning to leave the bottle?" Jaaide teased as she swallowed another mouthful of the dark liquid. "Y'know, this grows on you..."  
  
Theron raised an eyebrow, took another sip himself. "Hey, you're right." What had tasted slightly above average now rated markedly higher. "I wonder if it's an acquired taste, or if gettin' a little tipsy relaxed our standards?"  
  
She laughed, an adorable sleepy-sounding giggle. "Does it really matter?"  
  
"No, not really," he conceded, smiling to himself as he felt her weight settle more heavily against him. He carefully worked the mostly-empty glass free of her loose grip and sat both it and his own glass on a nearby end table.  
  
"How much longer?" Jaaide mumbled, twisting to snuggle in closer almost by instinct.  
  
Theron flicked a glance at the wall chrono. "Fifteen minutes, give or take."  
  
"Mmkay... We can just enjoy th' view..." She was asleep almost the second she stopped talking.  
  
He had to resist the urge to cheer as he pressed another kiss against her hair. He hadn't been _trying_ to get her to sleep, exactly, but he'd been more than a little hopeful it would happen. She'd been running herself into the ground since her last fight with Arcann, and much as she gave him grief for his (admittedly atrocious) sleep schedule, Theron knew her own wasn't much better.  
  
So he'd sit here for fifteen minutes, sleeping spy nestled snugly against him, and enjoy the view she was so proud of until it was time to wake her up. Then she'd be a bit rested and they could get back to work...  
  
  
**************  
  
"Theron." Something poked him.  
  
He slapped it away without opening his eyes.  
  
" _Theron_." A more insistent poke, and this time he grunted as he tried to knock it away. There was a soft chuckle and something warm pressed briefly against his forehead. "Wake up, sleepyhead."  
  
Theron pried his eyes open with a groan, pausing halfway through a yawn/stretch combo when he was greeted by an extremely close up view of warm green eyes, underscored by freckles and surrounded by scars.  
  
"You were right," he mumbled, rubbing a crick out of his neck.  
  
Jaaide cocked an eyebrow. "About what?"  
  
"Damn good view," he grinned, and watched her roll her eyes.." "How long...?"  
  
" _I_ slept for _hour and a half_ ," she informed him, trying to scowl and not quite succeeding. "Woke up to an increasingly frantic Lana all but yelling in my ear since your blackout spike had worn off. Assured her I was alright, I had just fallen asleep. Didn't mention where or why, so hopefully she won't come after you."  
  
"'Preciate that," Theron muttered, frowning at the pink streaks that decorated the sky. _No way it's that late_.  
  
Jaaide followed his gaze and grinned in almost perverse pleasure. "You slept another two hours after I woke up, and honestly, I think you would have stayed out if I hadn't developed a guilty conscience about further wrecking your sleep schedule. But I've spent too much time nagging you about getting more sleep, I really don't regret taking advantage of a golden opportunity."    
  
"You sneaky little minx," he drawled, unable to resist matching her grin.  
  
"It's not like I did it on _purpose_ ," she protested, offering him a hand up. "Just took advantage of a presented opportunity."  
  
Theron took the offered hand, briefly considered pulling her back onto the couch, then discarded the idea and levered himself up. "Same difference."  
  
"You're one to talk," Jaaide snorted. "Or do you really expect me to believe you weren't half-hoping I'd fall asleep?"  
  
His grin widened. "Guilty. But in my defense, I was _planning_ to wake you up at the end of our twenty minutes. I _wasn't_ planning on falling asleep myself."  
  
"Considering I happen to know you pulled at _least_ two all-nighters in the past week, that was awfully optimistic of you," she pointed out sweetly.  
  
 _Try three and a half,_ Theron corrected mentally, but just chuckled as he nodded a concession. "True. I guess it all worked out for the best anyway. We both needed sleep."  
  
"Mm-hm," Jaaide nodded, thumb running over his knuckles, looking a tad distracted as she stared at the setting sun.  
  
"'Course, didn't get to enjoy the view nearly as long as I wanted," he teased, sliding his other arm around her shoulders.  
  
"Well, you'll just have to drop by sometime to rectify that, won't you?" she teased back, letting go of his hand so she could turn to enjoy the view as well.  
  
"Guess I will," Theron nodded, as the two of them stood and watched the sun set. _It is a damn good view._

 


End file.
